gp5

GP-5, also rendered GP5, is a Soviet-era gas pistol designed for riot control and personal defense. The designation stands for Gas Pistol 5. It is not a conventional firearm; rather it fires blank cartridges that propel a separate gas canister filled with irritant agents such as CS or CN gas. When fired, the blank's powder gases push the gas canister out of the muzzle, where it disperses irritant gas to affect a target area.

The GP-5 was produced starting in the 1960s by Russian and other Soviet-era arms manufacturers and remained in service with various police and security units through the 1990s. The weapon is compact and simple in construction, with a fixed barrel, a straightforward trigger mechanism, and a limited practical range. The gas canisters are typically disposable and were designed for short-range use.

Because it uses irritant gas canisters, the GP-5 is regulated differently from traditional firearms and legal status varies by country. In many places possession requires license or is prohibited outright; some jurisdictions treat it as a non-lethal security device rather than a firearm.

Today, the GP-5 is encountered mainly as a surplus item among collectors, or in some markets where police equipment was sold after the Soviet Union's dissolution. It is cited in discussions of Cold War-era policing and as an example of non-lethal crowd-control technology from the Soviet period.